Apparatus for manufacturing oxides of metals



UNITED STAT S ATENT OFricE,

STEPHEN ROIVE BRADLEYAND ARTHUR OROSSMAN BRADLEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING OXIDES OF METALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,292, dated April 8, 1890.

Application filed January 11, 1888- Serial No. 260,384. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, STEPHEN ROWE BRAD- LEY and ARTHUR OROSSMAN BRADLEY, both of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have made an invention of certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Manufacturing Oxides of Readily Oxidizable Metals, such as litharge and the oxide of zinc; and I do hereby declare that the following, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description and specification of the same.

The object of our invention is to enable the metal to be oxidized rapidly and at a small cost; and the invention which constitutes the subject of this patent consists of an improved apparatus for that purpose.

The several parts of the invention are set forth in detail in the claims at the close of this specification.

In order that they may be fully understood we have represented in the accompanying drawings, and will proceed to describe the form of apparatus which we prefer to use for the purpose and will describe the mode of operation by its use. I

Figure 1 of said drawings represents a longitudinal section of said apparatus, and Fig. 2 represents a larger face View of the form of gas-nozzle which we prefer to use.

One of the principal members of the apparatus represented in said drawings is the oxidizingchamber A, which may be ten feet long, three feet broad, and six feet in height. At one end of this chamber is the combined gasinjectorand comminuter. This consists of an in j ector-nozzle B, an aperture for air, (which is preferably the end of a pipe J,) and a feeder O for delivering; a stream of molten metal to the current of gas proceeding from the injector-nozzle. The orifice of the injector-nozzle is made, preferably, of crescent form, as represented in front view at Fig. 2, and the supply of gas to this nozzle is controlled by a valve (Z in the supply-pipe. The feeder 0 consists of a funnel e, terminating in a feedpipe f, which delivers the molten metal directly to the jet or blast of gas proceeding from the injector-nozzle, and the delivery of the metal is controlled by a movable gate or valve g, which is fitted to the feed-pipe f.

The end of the oxidizing-chamber Which is farthest from the gas injector and comminuter is connected with a dust-collector. The construction of dust-collector which we prefer to employ is a bag-collector, such as is used in the manufacture of oxide of zinc, and its pipes K may be connected with the oxidizing chamber by a connecting -pipe L of sheet-iron. The dust collector may be extended to any desired extent by increasing the pipes and number of bags m.

In operating with the above-described apparatus inflammable gas-such, for example, as natural gas-is supplied to the injector nozzle 13 at the requisite pressure, the pressure which we recommend for the purpose be ing eighty pounds per square inch. The gas is turned on and is lighted through an aperture in the side of the casing H, provided for that purpose. Then molten metal (lead, for example) is fed in a stream to the jet or blast of gas by means of the feeder O. The molten metal is thus subjected to the action of a jet of inflammable gas under pressure, and the action of the jet or blast upon the stream of molten metal comminutes it by separating it into minute globules and distributes it in the atmosphere of the oxidizing-chamber, while at the same time the gas, being in a burning condition, furnishes the heat required to cause the metal to burn in the air in the oxidizing chamber, a supply of air being carried in through the air-aperture at the inner end of the air-tube J by the operation of the.

gas-blast, so that when the air-tube is open the metal is subjected to a combined blast of burning gas and air. The metal is thus simultaneously com'minuted, distributed in the oxidizing-chamber, and heated to the burn- TOO ing-temperature by the jet of gas proceeding from the gas injector. The comminuted metal burns rapidly and is converted into its oxide. Such of the oxide as falls in the oxidizing-chamber collects therein, and may be removed at intervals through doorways a, provided for the purpose, these doorways being closed by doors when the operation is proceeding. Such oxide as does not drop in the oxidizing-chamber is carried with the current of the gaseous products of combustion and any excess of air into the dust-collector and is collected therein. If the oxidizing-chamber is made large enough, a supplementary dust-collector is not necessary, as the oxidizing-chamber in such case operates both as oxidizing-chamber and dust-collector, and the collection in a long oxidizing-chamber may be facilitated by the use of partitions arranged, as is well understood, so as to make the current of mixed gaseous products and oxide take a zigzag course.

"When the above-described apparatus is in operation, the current of gas and comminuted metal extends from the injector into the chamber in'a conoidal form, spreading as it leaves the injector-nozzle. Consequently it is important that the chamberand the casing II (if one be used) shall be unobstructed laterally of the central line of the current for a sufficient distance in all directions to permit the lateral spreading of the mixed current. It is also important that there be no obstruction in front of the injector-nozzle, against which obstruction the current would impinge before the oxidation of the metal is effected. The oxidizing-chamber free from such lateral and direct obstructions we denominate an unobstructed chamber, and the combination of the injector-nozzle and feeder of molten metal with this kind of chamber differs substantially from the combination of an injector-nozzle and feeder with a pipe of comparatively small diameter, which would confine the current laterally and against the inside of which the molten metal would be spattered. Our said combination also differs substantially from one in which there may be a plate of wall close enough in front of the injector to collect upon its surface the molten metal before it is oxidized.

An air-aperture for the admission of air is also an essential feature of our invention, as if such aperture should be lacking there would be no supply of air for the oxidation of the metal.

The process of simultaneously comminuting molten metal, distributing it, and oxidiz ing it and saving the oxide has been made the subject of a second application for apatent, which is serially numbered 264,516, and therefore is not claimed in this patent.

VVe-do not claim, broadly, an apparatus for comminuting metal consisting simply of a closed chamber, an injector-nozzle, and a feeder of molten metal, as such an apparatus is unfitted for the simultaneous comminution and oxidation of metal because of the lack of means of admitting the requisite air for burning gas and oxidizing the metal.

W'e claim as our invention 1. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the injector-nozzle, the feeder for molten metal, and the unobstructed oxidizing-chamber provided with an air-aperture through which air can pass into the oxidiz ing-chamber. 4 y

2. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the injector-nozzle, the feeder for molten metal, the unobstructed oxidizing chamber provided with an air-aperture, and the supplementary dust-collector.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 9th day of January, A. D. 1888.

Witnesses:

JOHN B. FRO'IHINGHAM, FREDK. J. SHARP. 

